The situation had become "worrying," in fact, even before the results of the 2016 presidential election were known. As we now can read in the Department of Justice report by Michael Horowitz, the senior levels of government during the Obama Administration were colluding to prevent President Trump from winning the election, and then, after it, to frame him in an attempted coup d'état.

Mayors of many cities and other local officials have deliberately protected criminals over law-abiding citizens and allowed the destruction to take place.

"I thought things were partisan and tough 30 years ago — nothing compared to today. Things have fundamentally changed... [the left] represents a revolutionary Rousseauian party that believes in tearing down the system... They're interested in complete political victory. They're not interested in compromise. They're not interested in dialectic, exchange of views... It's a substitute religion. They view their political opponents... as evil because we stand in the way of their progressive utopia that they're trying to reach..." — US Attorney General William Barr, Fox News, August 9, 2020.

"Today our nation is facing the most serious threat to establish such a tyranny in our entire history." — David Horowitz, Frontpage Mag, August 10, 2020.

The first defect of the Macron plan, as we understand it, is that it treats what Lebanon faces as a humanitarian disaster, something like a major earthquake or tsunami, rather than a man-made tragedy plotted outside and executed by elements in the Lebanese political system. In other words, Lebanon's crisis is caused by geopolitical factors with internal manifestations.

Tehran has tried to rewrite the Lebanese rules of the game in two ways. First, it has recruited, often purchased, allies not to say clients, in all communities. To be sure, Hezbollah remains Tehran's main Trojan horse. But Iran also has baby Trojan horses in all other communities.

The second way in which Tehran has changed the rules of the game is to transform Hezbollah into a state-within-the-state, turning the official institutions of the Lebanese state into empty shells. Worse still, Hezbollah itself is held on an increasingly tight leash from Tehran. Those who follow the official narrative in Tehran know that the hard core of the Islamic Republic leadership treat Hezbollah as servants rather than allies.

Even before the mullahs seized power in Tehran, Iran exercised some influence in Lebanon and is likely to maintain a high profile there even after the mullahs are seen off the stage. But, while Iran will always be here, it would be wrong to assume that the Islamic Republic, too, will always be there.